Ostweg


The Ostweg is a north-south long-distance path through the Black Forest from Pforzheim to Schaffhausen. The roughly 240-kilometre-long ridgeway was laid out in 1903 and has been managed and maintained since then by the Black Forest Club. Its waymark is a black and red diamond on a white background.

Day tours/stages

First stage: Pforzheim – Bad Liebenzell

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Pforzheim-Kupferhammer0254Starting point of the three Black Forest ridgeways: the Westweg, Mittelweg and Ostweg
Pforzheim-Würm4.0327
Liebeneck Castle3.0340
Hamberg4.0484In the municipality of Neuhausen
Steinegg Castle1.5391
Neuhausen4.5482
Monbachbrückle1.5450Entry to the Monbach valley
Bad Liebenzell6.5333

Route description

The starting point is the Kupferhammer south of Pforzheim. The path runs initially parallel to the road into the Würm valley and then climbs up to the right through the Pforzheim district of Würm and back down to the valley again. At a forest car park the path crosses a wooden bridge and continues to the ruins of Liebeneck. Carrying on up the Würm valley it reaches Hamberg, leaving it on the Schlossstraße. After a chapel it runs past the ruins of Steinegg to Neuhausen. Next the walk crosses the little bridge of Monbachbrückle into the Monbach valley. The Monbach empties into the River Nagold. At their confluence the path turns right and runs parallel to the railway line to Bad Liebenzell.

Second stage: Bad Liebenzell – Oberhaugstett

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Bad Liebenzell0333
Wolfsschlucht3.0380near Ernstmühl
Hirsau2.0341In the municipality of Calw
Abbey Ruins of
Calw3.5347
Zavelstein6.0585In the municipality of Bad Teinach-Zavelstein
Castle ruins and viewing tower
Bad Teinach1.0391In the municipality of Bad Teinach-Zavelstein
Liebelsberg3.0614In the municipality of Neubulach
Oberhaugstett2.5569In the municipality of Neubulach

Route description

After leaving the outskirts of Bad Liebenzell the path leads to the Wolfsschlucht gorge near Ernstmühl and then to the village of Hirsau with its ruined abbey dating to the 11th century. Calw itself is then reached via the Hirsauer Wiesenweg. Along Inselgasse and Lederstraße the path continues via the market place and Salzgasse out of the town to the rock massif of Gimbelstein and on to the Zavelstein Hostel which lies next to the Zavelsteiner Krokuswiesen Nature Reserve, In Zavelstein the route continues along Staufer Straße and Krokusstraße to the castle. Then the walk descends steeply to Bad Teinach. At the church the path turns right into Badstraße, goes past the Kurhaus and through the spa grounds uphill to Liebelsberg. Just before the village there is a water tower, which is also used as a viewing tower. From Liebelsberg a tarmac path leads to Oberhaugstett, which is reached along the road called Am Schleifberg.

Third stage: Oberhaugstett – Pfalzgrafenweiler

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Oberhaugstett0569
Buhlerwaldstern4.0618
Wart1.5600In the municipality of Altensteig
Berneck3.5455In the municipality of Altensteig
Altensteigdorf1.5558In the municipality of Altensteig
Altensteig1.5444
Kohlsägmühle3.5470
Zinsbachmühle3.5530
Büchelesbrunnen1.0630
Pfalzgrafenweiler2.0636Intersection with the Gäurandweg

Route description

We leave Oberhaugstett on Martinsmooser Straße; the path goes past the watchtower to the castle and village of Berneck. Other destinations are Altensteigdorf, Altensteig, the Kohlsägmühle mill, the Zinsbachmühle mill and the end of the stage at Pfalzgrafenweiler.

Fourth stage: Pfalzgrafenweiler – Freudenstadt

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Pfalzgrafenweiler0636
Russenbusch0.5650
Findelhütte3.0659
Fuchstrieb1.0713
Hausers Heuscheuer1.5693
Beim Glattbächle0.5695
Obermusbach2.0660In the municipality of Freudenstadt
Untermusbach1.5680In the municipality of Freudenstadt
Tal des Aunbachs1.0632In the municipality of Freudenstadt
Frutenhof1.0670In the municipality of Freudenstadt
Haldenberg2.5670Sportplatz Wittlensweiler
Freudenstadt2.5728Joins the Mittelweg from Pforzheim–Waldshut

Route description

We leave Pfalzgrafenweiler on Christoph-Decker-Straße. After 9 kilometres the path reaches Obermusbach. There the walk continues along Kälberbronner Straße, Klosterstraße and Mühlhaldenstraße to Untermusbach. Here it continues along Mühlhaldenstraße, past the sports field, along Merzenbergstraße and Müllerstraße out of the village. Passing Frutenhof and Wittlensweiler it leads to Freudenstadt. In the town the route passes the cemetery and reaches the railway station. It then goes along Musbacher Straße and Stuttgarter Straße to the market place.

Fifth stage: Freudenstadt – Alpirsbach

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Freudenstadt0728
Friedrichsturm / Kienberg1.5799
Kohlberg4.5730
Vogteiturm1.0740viewing tower
Sandwiese1.0752
Adrionshof1.0724
Schömberg3.5744In the municipality of Loßburg
Alpirsbach9.0441End point of the Querwegs Gengenbach–Alpirsbach

Route description

After the market place the route continues through Freudenstadt along Loßburger Straße, Straßburger Straße, Lauterbadstraße, Friedrich-Ebert-Straße and Herzog-Friedrich-Straße to the Friedrichsturm tower on the Kienberg. The route then runs past the Vogtei Tower to the Adrionshof and on to Ödenwald. About 2 kilometres further on it reaches a large forest clearing. It continues along the edge of the wood and the road to Schömberg, leaving via Reinerzauerstraße and Altenburgstraße. After 2 kilometres the route leaves the track in the forest district of Hardt and follows a narrow footpath. After the Heilenberger Hut it continues, in places very steeply, down to Alpirsbach, which is reached via Forchenweg.

Sixth stage: Alpirsbach – Schramberg

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Alpirsbach0441
Rötenbach1.5420In the municipality of Alpirsbach
Adelsberg1.0518
Fräulinsberg2.0530
Holzebene3.0583Naturfreundehaus
Brandsteig-Schänzle1.5690Römische Straßenstation
Zollhaus1.5720
Aichhalden2.5716
Paradieshof3.5670
Schramberg2.5424

Seventh stage: Schramberg – Villingen

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Schramberg0424
Tischneck2.5720In the municipality of Schramberg
Benediktinerhöhe1.0798
Hardt1.5800
Mönchhof2.0794
Lindenloch / Glasbachtal2.0760
Albblick / Martinsweiler1.5770Kreuzung mit dem Querweg Rottweil–Lahr
Ruine Waldau1.5737Kulturdenkmal Hof Beck
Königsfeld2.0761Kreuzung mit Querweg Rottweil–Lahr
Mönchweiler5.5801
Kurgarten Villingen5.5721Kreuzung mit dem Black Forest-Jura-Bodensee-Weg
Villingen2.5704

Eighth stage: Villingen – Sunthausen

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Villingen0704
viewing tower Wanne2.5777
Bertholdshöfe1.0758Intersection with the Black Forest Jura-Bodensee-Weg
Hölzlekönig1.0748Ehemaliges Naturdenkmal
Kugelmoos2.5710
Schwenninger Moos1.0706Naturschutzgebiet
Bad Dürrheim-Kurhaus Hüttenbühl2.0700
Waldcafé2.0795Aussichtspunkt
Hirschhaldehütte2.0759Kleine Schutzhütte
Sunthauser See2.0707
Sunthausen0.5706In the municipality of Bad Dürrheim

Ninth stage: Sunthausen – Geisingen

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Sunthausen0706
Öfingen5.0820In the municipality of Bad Dürrheim
Intersection with the Black Forest Jura-Bodensee-Weg
Blatthaldenhütte5.0915Schutzhütte mit Grillplatz
Aussichtspunkt
Hörnlekapf1.5875Hubertushütte
Aussichtspunkt
Geisingen4.5667

Tenth stage: Geisingen – Achdorf

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Geisingen0667
Wartenberg2.0825
Gutmadingen2.5673In the municipality of Geisingen
Wendthütte3.0859Grillplatz
Längewiesen1.5914
Wegabzweigung nach Hondingen0.5921Höchster Punkt des Ostwegs
Neue Hütte1.5835
Hondingen1.5720In the municipality of Blumberg
Eichberg6.0913Schutzhütte
Aussichtspunkt
Achdorf4.5540In the municipality of Blumberg

Eleventh stage: Achdorf – Stühlingen

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Achdorf0540Kreuzung mit dem Querweg Freiburg–Bodensee
Kreuzung mit dem Schluchtensteig
Wutachflühen Bei der Muttergottes4.0575Naturschutzgebiet
Kreuzung mit dem Schluchtensteig
Footbridge over the Wutach2.5505Flüheweg durch das Wutachtal
Gasthaus Wutachschlucht1.5500Ehemaliger Haltepunkt Lausheim-Blumegg der stillgelegten Wutachtalbahn '
Ehemaliger Bahnhof Weizen4.0471Bahnhof der stillgelegten Wutachtalbahn '
Kreuzung mit dem Schluchtensteig
Katzenloch1.0530
Stühlingen3.5501Kreuzung mit dem Schluchtensteig

Twelfth stage: Stühlingen – Schaffhausen

Overview

Place/AttractionRoute
Höhe
Further information
Stühlingen0501
Stühlingen-Grenzübergang1.0450
Schleitheim2.5467
Strickhof2.5580
Schleitheimer Schlossranden2.0901Schleitheimer Randenturm
Zelgli1.0865
Bräunlingsbuck2.5778
Chlosterfeld2.0655
Schaffhausen5.5400

Route description

The route leaves Stühlingen via Hauptstraße and Bahnhofstraße.

Literature

Reinhard Distel und Heinz R. Wittner: Wanderführer Schwarzwald-Höhenwege. 7th edn., Ostfildern, 1997.. pp. 111–141